Lyrik

1909 Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (German Expressionist, 1880-1938) Dodo with a Japanese Umbrella Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (1880-1938) was one of the founders of the artists group Die Brücke or "The Bridge", a key group leading to the foundation of Expressionism in 20th century art. He volunteered for German army service in the First World War, but soon suffered a breakdown & was discharged. In 1933, his work was branded as "degenerate" by the Nazis. In 1937, he was asked for his resignation from the Berlin Academy of Arts, & over 600 of his works were confiscated from public museums in Germany & were sold or destroyed. In 1938, he committed suicide. ( written by Barbara Wells Sarudy )

Croquet is, like pall mall, trucco, jeu de mail & kolven, clearly a derivative of ground billiards, which was popular in Western Europe back to at least the 14th century, with roots in classical antiquity.

1650 Peter Lely (English artist, 1618-1680) The Children of the Markgraaf de Trazegnies

Researchers claim that both golf & croquet evolved from these ancient sports, and that billiards was a modified inside game of croquet.

1650 ‘The Centre of Love, I the land Decouvert Miscellaneous Emblesmes gallant and jocular’ was first published (by Chez Cupid) c 1650.

Some Researchers believe the game was Introduced to Britain from France falling on the reign of Charles II of England, and WAS played under the name of straw-gold mesh pall mall, derived Ultimately from Latin words for “ball and mallet.”

Played during the 17th century by Charles II & his courtiers at St. James’s Park in London, the name of the game was anglicized to Pall Mall, which also became the name of a nearby street. “Mall” then evolved into a generic word for any street used for public gathering & strollings.

The Pall Mall at St James, London, from a 17th century map by Faithhorne

In his 1810 book entitled The Sports and Pastimes of the People of England, Joseph Strutt describes the way pall mall was played in England in the early 17th century: “Pale-maille is a game wherein a round box ball is struck with a mallet through a high arch of iron, which he that can do at the fewest blows, or at the number agreed upon, wins. It is to be observed, that there are two of these arches, that is one at either end of the alley.”

David Johnson (American artist, 1827-1908) Croquet on the Lawn

In Samuel Johnson’s 1828 dictionary, he defines the game, “A play in which the ball is struck with a mallet through an iron ring.”

Winslow Homer (American artist, 1836-1910) Croquet

A similar game was played on the beaches of Brittany. Some researches believe that the rules of the modern game of croquet arrived from Ireland during the 1850s, perhaps after being brought there from Brittany. Records show the similar game of “crookey” being played at Castlebellingham in 1834, which was introduced to Galway in 1835 & played on the bishop’s palace garden, and in the same year to the genteel Dublin suburb of Kingstown (today Dún Laoghaire) where it was first spelled “croquet.”

Winslow Homer (American artist, 1836-1910) Croquet Players

The oldest document to bear the word “croquet” with a description of the modern game is the set of rules registered by Isaac Spratt in November 1856 with the Stationers’ Company in London.

1866 The Game of Croquet Published by Harper’s Weekly. 1866 detail

The tale is that the game traveled from Ireland to England around 1851. An unidentified Miss MacNaghten observed peasants in France playing a game with hoops made of willow rods & mallets of broomsticks inserted into pieces of wood & introduced it in Ireland. Sometime around 1850, she passed the idea to a Mr. Spratt and the result was Spratt’s rules for croquet published in 1851. Spratt then passed the game on to John Jacques; who claimed that he made equipment from patterns he bought in Ireland & had published rules, before Spratt introduced the subject to him. Whatever the case, Jacques was the first to make equipment as a regular business; and in 1864, published his first comprehensive code of laws.

1870 Croquet Published in

Every Saturday An Illustrated Journal of choice Reading, BostonAt first, croquet was most popular among women, It was a new experience for them to be able to play a game outdoors in the company of men. Early games of croquet were carefully chaperoned. The game’s popularity grew in the 1860’s, where garden parties began to be called croquet parties.

1870 Croqueting the Rover.

Published in Every Saturday An Illustrated Journal of Choice Reading. Boston1868 saw the formation of the All England Croquet Club with the purpose of creating an official body to control the game and unify the laws. They needed to find a ground, and in 1869 leased four acres in Wimbledon.

1871 Preparing for Croquet published in Harper’s Weekly, New York, July 22, 1871.

In 1875, one lawn at the club was set aside for exciting new game of lawn tennis, which was gaining popularity much more quickly than croquet. In April, 1877 the club name was changed to the All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club; and in July, 1877 the first lawn tennis championship was held at Wimbledon.

1872 The Last Croquet Game of the Summer published in Harper’s Bazar, New York, Nov. 2, 1872.

Croquet began to decline as tennis grew & proved to be more of a money maker. In 1882, croquet was deleted from the club title. However, croquet continued & went through a regrowth. In 1899, the name was restyled again to to the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club which it remains today.

Croquet

While croquet was on the decline in England, it was beginning to be the latest rage in America. Croquet equipment was advertised in the New York Clipper in 1862. In a story of an elopment in the November, 1864 issue of Godey’s Ladies Book, they described the intended bride, “her petite figure and dove-like eyes caused her at once to become “the rage of the park, the ball-room, the opera, and the croquet lawn.” In 1865, the Newport Croquet Club was formed in Rhode Island. The April 1865, Godey’s Ladies Book published a few rules for the game declaring, “As this game is now becoming very fashionable, we give some of the rules that govern it.”

1862 John Leech (English artist, 1817-1864) Croquet

When Vassar College opened , an announcement Godey’s Lady’s Book. August, 1865, stated, “The play-grounds are ample and secluded; and the apparatus required for…such simple feminine sports as archery, croquet (or ladies’ cricket), graces, shuttlecocks, etc. will be supplied by the college.” In the same issue, the magazine explained, “A NEW and fashionable amusement for the ladies may be found in the game of croquet , which is fast winning its way into the favor and esteem of all who make its acquaintance. It is a delightful game; it gives grace to the movements of the players; it can be played on any little grass-plot, and the implements of the game are becoming so cheap as to place them within the reach of all. Boys and girls, young men and maidens, and (as we do know), a good many older ones, find in it a most healthful and fascinating out-door recreation.” Two months later, the magazine noted, “Among the late novelties we notice pocket-handkerchiefs having a lady in croquet dress with mallet in hand, embroidered in gay colors in the corner.”

1865 John Leech (English artist, 1817-1864) A Nice Game For Two Or More

By April of the next year, Godey’s was featuring a croquet dress in one of its fashion plates, “Croquet dress of black alpaca, trimmed round the edge of the skirt, up the front, and up each breadth, with bands of green silk cut out in points. The basque is made quite long, slit up to the waist at the back, and turned over with green silk both back and front. The sleeves are trimmed with points of green silk to match the skirt, and the corsage is turned back, in revers, showing a fine worked chemisette. Hat of black straw, trimmed with a puffing of green silk, and a long white plume.”

1867 Philip Hermogenes Calderon (French-born English painter,1833-1898) Resting in the Shade after a game of Croquet

Milton Bradley & Co in 1866, published “Croquet – It’s Principles and Rules.” In February of 1867, Godey’s explaned that croquet, “requires for its full development a level ground of well-mown and well-rolled grass (unless all are equally acquainted with the inequalities, when slight undulations may add to the interest of the game); but it can be played on the sand of the sea-shore where it is hard and level, or upon well-rolled grave, or asphalte covered with a thin layer of fine broken shells.”

John Sartain (1808-1897) Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885), the 18th President of the United States (1869-1877) with his familyLater in 1867, a New York newspaper editorialized, “never in the history of outdoor sports in this country had any game achieved so sudden a popularity with both sexes, but especially with the ladies, as Croquet has.”

1870 The All-England Croquet Club at Wimbledon Ladies Sport Croquet Illustrated London News

The Delaware County Republican newspaper of July 10, 1868. carried an announcement of a variety of wooden croquet sets for sale, “BOX WOOD, Rose Wood, Lignum Vitae, Rock Maple, and less expensive sets of Croquet Games.” By 1869, churches were offering croquet to their guests. The Delaware County American announced on June 2, 1869, next to the Maple Church, “a strawberry and ice cream FESTIVAL, provided and served by ladies…a Concert, Vocal and Instrumental …also, a croquet lawn, with the requisite conveniences.” When the strawberries ripened the following June, the church ladies once again offered their festival including croquet. The popularity of croquet was growing by leaps and bounds in post Civil War America.

In 1882 a convention in New York of 25 clubs Formed the National American Croquet Association. Croquet WAS Introduced as an Olympic Sport in the 1900 Paris games. Early 1900 American croquet leaders disagreed with; many of the new English rules All which outlawed mallets with heads made ​​of rubber & HAD Introduced the six-wicket short layout. They Kept the nine-wicket Version & Short Handled mallets with heads of metal face on one end and rubber on the other. The Americans Introduced Their Version of 9-wicket croquet at the 1904 Olympics in St. Louis All which was won by an American but never played in the Olympics again.

1871 The Illustrated London News Croquet Under Difficulties.

1872 Abbéma Louise (1853-1927), A Game of Croquet at Trouville

1875 Oneida Community, New York

Winslow Homer (American artist, 1836-1910) Croquet Scene

1872 Part Of Croquet, engraving by Paul Girardet

1873 Edouard Manet (French painter, 1832-1883) The Croquet Game

1876 James H Holly Residence, Warwick, NY

1873 John George Brown (American genre artist, 1831-1913) Have a Game

John E Williams Residence, Irvington, NY

1873 Never Too Old To Play Croquet Nor Yet Too Young August Published for Harper’s Weekly, New York

1876 A game of croquet on the front lawn of Perry Guile’s house in Milo, New York

1878 James Tissot (French artist, 1836-1902) Croquet

Prince and Princess of Wales playing croquet The Illustrated London News

Croquet Fashions for players and observersCroquet grew in popularity with women during the 1860s; however, the sport was hampered by their heavy, full skirts & the crinolines worn underneath. Many women took to looping up their skirts to prevent soiling them or brushing against the croquet balls. Designers began to have the exposed petticoats develop tabs to button up the skirts, & the hems on croquet dresses became increasingly bold & decorative. In 1864, one croquet player advised, “the dress should be looped up, or not only will it spoil many a good stroke, but with its sweeping train will probably disturb the position of some of the balls.”

This is a fascinating collection of Native American Indian photographs from the turn of the last century! Several tribes are represented in this collection: Sioux, Walapai, Brule, Arikara and Tluwulahu. Such a stoic people, I believe that there is a lot to be learned from lives that were led so simply. While I look to god for my spiritual and worldly guidance, I do believe there is a lot to glean from these “simple” people. There lives were anything but simple, the thought of living from the land, every minute of every day, really gives me pause. I want to give credit for these spectacular photos, the clarity of old film just cannot be duplicated by a digital memory! All of these photos were originally shot by Edward S. Curtis and can be found on this website: http://www.old-picture.com/

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Richard Edward or Emil Miller (American artist, 1875-1943) Woman with Parasol Here are a few women with parasols by American artists, although you will notice that at least one was painting in Nice, when the parasol craze hit struck him. I wish I were in Nice right now, a truly lovely town of beaches & boats & fountains & flea markets.

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1919 Niklaus Stoecklin (Swiss artist, 1896-1982) Nelly While I was looking at the change over time in the depiction of women with veils, it struck me that it was not just the clothing or the artist’s styles that had changed. It was the attitude of the women. They were more independent and more self assured. It was 1920, after all, and American women were just getting to vote in national elections for the 1st time since 1776. But the change I saw was fairly universal across Europe and the other Western countries. Here are a few of those confident new women, young and old. (Barbara Wells Sarudy )

Mother Suzanne Valadon (1865-1938) and Son Maurice Utrillo, born Maurice Valadon (1883-1955) c 1889
In 2009, the Pinacothéque de Paris presented an exhibit of paintings by mother & son artists Suzanne Valadon (1865–1938) & Maurice Valadon Utrillo (1883-1955). Theirs is a complicated tale.
Suzanne Valadon was born Marie-Clémentine Valadon in France.Mother Suzanne Valadon (1865-1938) and Son Maurice Utrillo, born Maurice Valadon (1883-1955)
She was the daughter of an unmarried laundress & was raised in Paris in bleak, lonely, & unaffectionate circumstances.

Photo of Suzanne Valadon
She apparently taught herself to draw by age 9. As a very young woman she worked as a laundress & a dressmaker’s assistant.

Suzanne Valadon (1865-1938) 1926
Suzanne Valadon became a circus acrobat at the age of 15, but a year later, a fall from a trapeze ended that career aspiration.

Suzanne Valadon (1865-1938) Maurice Utrillo, born Maurice Valadon (1883-1955)
A strikingly beautiful girl, she found work as an artists’ model to observe & learn the artists’ techniques.

[Barbara Wells Sarudy ]

Suzanne Valadon (1865-1938) Self Portrait 1883
In the Montmartre quarter of Paris, she agressively pursued her interest in art, first working as a model for artists, observing & learning their techniques, before becoming a noted painter herself.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) Profile of Suzanne Valadon (1865-1938) 1885
In order to separate the painter from the model, Valadon, whose given name was Marie-Clementine, worked as a model using the name Maria. As an artist, she signed her work Suzanne Valadon. She apparently adopted the new name to delineate her new & separate role as an artist.

Puvis de Chavannes, Pierre (1824-98) Untitled painting of Suzanne Valadon 1880
She is known to have had affairs with serveral of these artists, including Lautrec, Renoir, and Chavannes.

Suzanne Valadon (1865-1938) Self Portrait 1898
Although she could not afford formal classes, Valadon learned readily & absorbed the techniques of the painters around her.

Suzanne Valadon (1865-1938) Portrait of her Son Maurice Utrillo (1883-1955), her Mother & his Grandmother and his Dog, 1910
Toulouse-Lautrec, who was romantically involved with Suzanne, brought her work to the attention of Edgar Degas.

Edgar Degas (1834-1917) Le Tab model Suzanne Valadon
Degas talked with her at great length and bought one of her paintings the day they first met. He consistantly encouraged her to develop her artistic talent.

Suzanne Valadon (1865-1938) Self Portrait 1917
Degas also helped her learn, teaching her drawing and etching techniques. At age 18, she became the mother of painter Maurice Valadon Utrillo, his father remains unknown.

Suzanne Valadon (1865-1938) Self Portrait 1918
By the early 1890s, she had became close friends with the famous Edgar Degas who, impressed with her bold line drawings & fine paintings, continued to purchase her work & encourage her efforts. They remained close friends until his death.

Suzanne Valadon (1865-1938) Self Portrait
Valadon frequented the bars & taverns of Paris along with her fellow painters, who would come and go as lovers, & a rejected Toulouse-Lautrec painted her with a hangover.

Suzanne Valadon (1865-1938) Self Portrait
A free spirit in many respects, she would wear a corsage of carrots, kept a goat at her studio to “eat up her bad drawings”, & fed caviar (rather than meat) to her “good Catholic” cats on Fridays.

Suzanne Valadon (1865-1938) Said to be Self Portrait
In 1894, Valadon became the 1st woman painter admitted to the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts. All the artists knew her and her work.Suzanne Valadon (1865-1938) Said to be Self Portrait 1934
Despite her financial success & the recognition gained for her artistic achievements, her fame was eclipsed by that of her son. She gave birth to the boy in 1883, & never divulging the identity of his father, she named him Maurice Valadon. He later adopted the paternal family name of a close friend of his mother, Miguel Utrillo y Morlius, who owned the Auberge du Clou, a tavern frequented by the residents, shop owners, workers, & artists of Montmartre.Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) City Dance (Suzanne Valadon and Eugène Pierre Lestringuez) 1883
After being taught to paint & mentored by his mother, as Maurice Utrillo, he became one of Montmartre’s best-known street scene artists.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) Dance at Bougival (Suzanne Valadon and Paul Lhote) 1883
Among her works is a portrait of the composer Erik Satie, with whom she had a six-month affair in 1893. A smitten Satie proposed marriage after their first night together.

Suzanne Valadon (1865-1938) Portrait of Composer Erik Satie (1866-1925) c.1892
For Satie, the intimacy of his relationship with Valadon would be the only one of its kind in his life, leaving him at its end, he said, with “nothing but an icy loneliness that fills the head with emptiness & the heart with sadness.”

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901) Portrait of Suzanne Valadon
In 1896, she married Paul Mousis; & the financial support of her well-to-do investor & banker husband allowed her to work full-time as an artist.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) Portrait of Suzanne Valadon (1865-1938) 1885
Her use of color and her bold representations of female sexuality challenged the traditional male constructions of femininity. The women in her portraits would not be passive sexual objects. They would not assume conventional, seductive poses.

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901) Portrait of Suzanne Valadon (1865-1938) The Hangover 1888
A perfectionist, she worked on some of her oil paintings for up to 13 years, before showing them publically.

Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen (1859-1923), Suzanne Valadon
Valadon’s 1896 marriage to stockbroker Paul Mousis ended when, in 1909, she left him for a painter half her age, André Utter (1886–1948), who was a friend of her son Maurice Utrillo. But that marriage did not run smoothly either.

Amedeo Modigliani (1884-1920) Suzanne Valadon (1865-1938)
Her first one-person show, after leaving her stockbroker husband, seems to have taken place in 1911, although some claim that the year was 1915. This public exhibit of Valadon’s paintings attracted critical acclaim & numerous patrons.Maurice Utrillo, born Maurice Valadon (1883-1955) Portrait of His Mother Suzanne Valadon By the end of the 1st World War, she achieved critical & financial success. She continued to exhibit regularly, reaching the peak of her fame in the 1920s. Suzanne Valadon had 4 major retrospective exhibitions during her lifetime.

Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen (1859-1923), Suzanne Valadon
In her final years she was usually estranged from both Utter & Utrillo, & her health was ruined by the excesses of her life. Suzanne Valadon died on 7 April 1938, & in attendance at her funeral were her friends & colleagues, Andre Derain, Pablo Picasso, & Georges Braque.